The tragic plane crash that took the life of beloved country music songwriter Brett James also claimed his wife, Melody Carole, and his stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson. This heartbreaking news adds a deeper layer of sorrow to the accident first reported last week.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed on Friday, September 19, that all three perished. Their single-engine Cirrus SR22T aircraft crashed on Thursday, September 18. It went down in a field near Iotla Valley Elementary School in Franklin, North Carolina. Both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, according to The New York Times. The plane was registered under Brett Cornelius, which a profile on the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame website confirmed was the musician’s real name.
Earlier on Thursday, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced James’ passing at age 57. They stated he died in a "small engine plane crash." At that time, it was not known that Melody and Meryl were also on board.
Just days before the accident, Meryl celebrated her 28th birthday. On Tuesday, September 16, she posted a poignant message on Instagram. "28 years.✨142 days sober.✨Extremely happy to be here," her post read. Her mother, Melody, shared a loving tribute to Meryl for her birthday on Wednesday, September 17. It was her second-to-last post on Instagram.
"How blessed I am to be your mom," Melody wrote. "You are the most beautiful, incredible person inside and out! I am honored and grateful every day for your radiant presence in my life. God has already used you for His Kingdom in so many ways, and I am sure many more are yet to come! There are no words to express the gift you are to me and to all who know you." Meryl responded with heartfelt emotion: "MOMMYYY 🥹🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🥹 you are the best thing in the world!"
Brett James and Melody Carole in January 2022. Instagram/@melodycarole1
Melody, who was 59 years old when she died, announced her marriage to James in January 2022. She shared photos of the couple cutting their wedding cake. "What a wonderful year! On August 21, Brett and I got married. How lucky I am," she posted on Instagram at the time.
James was an award-winning singer-songwriter with a remarkable 30-year career. He penned songs for huge stars like Taylor Swift, Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, and the Backstreet Boys. His most famous work was co-writing Carrie Underwood’s 2006 smash hit, "Jesus, Take the Wheel." That song shot to the top of the Billboard Hot Country chart. It also won Grammy Awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.
Carrie Underwood, 42, shared her fond memories of James on Instagram Friday. She remembered him as a "good guy" who once gave her equal songwriting credit. This was for a song where he "basically wrote 75 percent." "We filled in the blanks and added a melody," Underwood recalled. "Then I told him I didn’t feel right taking equal credit when he did most of the work. He didn’t allow it. He insisted everything be equal."
Underwood spoke about James’ faith. "Brett loved the Lord. That is the only comfort we can cling to now. We even had the pleasure of singing together at church. My favorite songs to sing, that we did together, are the ones he or we wrote about Jesus because the thoughts and feelings behind them are so genuine and pure. I will never sing a single note again without thinking of him."
Many of James’ collaborators also expressed their sorrow online. Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, and Sara Evans were among those who offered condolences. "It breaks my heart to hear of the loss of my friend Brett James tonight. I felt nothing but love and respect for that guy and he helped change my life," Aldean, 48, posted on X on Thursday. "An honor to have known him and worked with him. My thoughts and prayers for his family. 💔."
James is survived by four adult children: three sons and one daughter. They are from his previous marriage to Sandra Cornelius-Little.